On family, flowers, and history

I’ve been in LA for almost ten years now. It’s a place I never thought I’d live, much less stay for this amount of time. Growing up in a tropical paradise (because South Kona is nothing if not a rural, almost elemental retreat from busy-ness– aka, paradise),the mere thought of Los Angeles was enough to give me anxiety and an anticipatory smog headache. But here I am, a decade later, with no plans to move in the near future.

Despite the distance, I find ways to keep in touch with my roots. I make semi-regular trips to Mitsuwa to stock up on Hawaiian Sun, Facebook makes it easy to see what’s happening on the (increasing populated) island, and I’m lucky enough to go back to Kona several times a year for work.

When I redesigned my logo a few years ago, it was important to represent my upbringing; to somehow, even subtly, show that “aloha” means something real to me, and that I strive to make that meaning known to my clients. So the logo design was based on a Hawaiian quilt pattern. I believe that photography– and wedding photography in particular– is a way to preserve your family’s history. It gives visual evidence of your roots and your heritage. It depicts where your legacy began. And, like a quilt passed down from generation to generation, your photos will have a similar journey. Over time, both become physical representations of history and family and love– all the most important things in life.

Each Hawaiian quilt depicts a repeating, radiating pattern, often of botanical subject matter. For my logo, I chose to use an anthurium, a bold tropical flower that (apparently) represents hospitality, though to me it always looked like a heart springing from an otherwise unassuming plant. It reminds me of how love can happen anywhere, and everywhere, and often when you least expect it.